Fragile
by cold-crescent-moon
Summary: Love is fragile, delicate, and if you don't play your cards right, it'll all come crashing down.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own anything

* * *

It was a dangerous love.

He wasn't supposed to feel this way, but he did.

These feelings had to be buried.

A delicate fist clenched as it hung loosely by the thigh.

I can't love Ludwig.

That was the only clear thought in his mind as he stood outside of the library. It was acfterschool and nearly everyone was gone by now, but he had promised to meet the German and his Italian friend here for tutoring. Listening closely, the Japanese could hear giggles and angry shouts.

I have no right to love him.

He was aware of Feliciano's feelings towards the blonde, and there was no way he was going to intervene with the Italian's progress.

It'll go away in time. Until then, I just need more self control.

Taking a deep breath he mustered the courage to open the door and walk in. Feliciao turned his head in the other's direction and gave a sunny smile.

"Kiku! We thought you left!"

A weak smile.

Maybe he should have, that way things would be easier.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Seating himself across from the two of them, he pulled out his notes and proceeded in finishing his class assignments.

"Ludwig, do you want to get ome ice cream after this?"

Concentration was key.

"No, I'm busy after this."

"Oh c'mon! Why can't we hang out?"

If he concentrated hard enough, he could block everything out.

"I'm just busy; You'd be too if you had a brother like mine."

Feliciano giggled and cuddled up to the German. "Oh Ludwig, you silly pizza pie."

Pain gripped his heart.

Jealousy coursed through his veins.

Self hatred raged in his mind

But he couldn't let those things take him over.

A deep breath.

Just concentrate and keep moving forward.

Just concentrate.

* * *

"Kiku, can I talk to you?"

The said student jumped at the sudden request. He had left the building already, but he had no idea he was being tailed.

A giggle. "Sorry, did I scare you?"

"Y-Yes... quite a lot actually." Kiku said, turning around and regaining his composture. "What may I do for you?"

Hesitation was obvious in the Italian's attitude. Shifting brown eyes and his hands wrung together behind him.

"Well, I wanted to ask you for advice... love advice."

Something snapped.

"I've been meaning to ask Ludwig out... to go steady with him and stuff."

Kiku's fingers twitched.

"But I, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to ask him out. What should I do?" Feliciano asked, looking up with glimmering eyes. He was going to cry, he always did when he didn't know what to do with a serious situation. The other took a deep breath and tried to sort himself out.

"What I think you should do," He began. "Is to do what _you_ want. If you don't tell Ludwig about how you... _feel_, then you'll end up regretting." He finished, his voice wavering by the slightest bit. The brunette blinked, letting it sink in, and when it did he broke into a grin.

"Kiku.. Kiku Thank You!" He said, pulling the other into a warm embrace. Stiffly, Kiku returned the gesture, unsure of what outcome to hope for.

Just bury those feelings, they'll go away.

* * *

The air was crisp as he approached the building. His run in with Feliciano yesterday still ran fresh in his mind as he walked. To be truthful, he didn't like the boy, but he didn't hate him either, there was nothing to hate about him. He was just another Italian; sleeping, eating and flirting. No real harm was ever done by the clutzy boy, but progress was never made either. That's probably the reason why he didn't like Feliciano so much; Nothing ever got done.

Just as he stepped through the front gates he heard an all-too-familiar voice calling his name. Putting his best face on, he turned around to greet the boy, but his breath hitched when he saw what was behind him.

"Kiku~! Good morning!" The boy said brightly, half running and half dragging Ludwig as he approached. Dark eyes noted the looped arms and the rouged cheeks on both of their faces, guessing that everyhting went well for the clutzy boy.

A grin teased his lips as he approached the frozen student, giggling every now and then.

"I took your advice, and everything turned out great! Kiku, I owe you so much." He said as he leant in and pecked him gently on the cheek. The other blinked, trying his best to get over his... disappointment?

That, he would figure out later.

"C, Congratulations Feliciano, Ludwig. I hope you find happiness together." He said, joining them as they walked into the school.

There was no turning back now, he hd to put those feelings away, or else everything would go wrong.

* * *

There should be a few typos I over looked. Look for them.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own anything.

* * *

"You seem down, is something wrong?"

Kiku looked up, meeting blue eyes and a face lined with worry.

Something pulled at his heart at the expression.

Lining a smile on his lips, he chuckled and said he was fine, just tired. "Do I really look that bad?" He joked. Ludwig broke into a smile.

"I, I need to talk to you." He said in a soft tone, taking a seat across from him. Both were in the library, and since Feliciano had soccer practice today, it was only them.

Putting his pencil down, he closed his notebook and straightened his posture. "What's on your mind?" The Japanese asked, observing the German's face. Ludwig was looking for the right words to use, that much Kiku could tell. And by the shifting eyes it was probably something important.

His newly formed relationship?

"It's... about Feliciano."

Bingo.

"Things aren't going too well?"

"No, the thing is... I..." Ludwig looked away. "I think I agreed with him because I felt bad for him."

Kiku blinked.

"You... what?"

"I know. I know it was the wrong thing to do, but how could I say no?" Ludwig said, his voice rising as he whipped his head back to face the stunned student. "I _can't_ say no to him when he's on the verge of crying, and Kiku, you know this as well as I do."

He gave a weak nod. Pulling his glasses off, he set them down and looked straight into those panic stricken eyes.

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Feliciano a week back. If you don't do what you want, then you'll regret it. Do what _you_ want to do, not what others want you to do." He said, taking out a cloth and wiping the lenses. Ludwig stared at Kiku's hands for a moment.

"...What if," He began. "I told you that I love you?"

Kiku's hands stopped immediately.

"... Say again?"

Blue eyes looked up into dark ones. "I love you."

Kiku couldn't say anything as he sat there, his thoughts put on stand by as his throat tightened. Ludwig reached over to grasp his hand, lacing their fingers together.

"I know it doesn't sound true, but I do."

He couldn't speak.

"And me being with Feliciano doesnt help, but I wouldn't lie to you. Not about this."

This isn't what was supposed to happen.

"Please," He begged. "Answer me."

"...No..."

He let his eyes fall onto the table, not wanting to hold that pained gaze.

"I... I can't."

"Butー"

"_I can't!"_ He said, his voice cracking as he yanked his hand away from Ludwig's. "I, I can't love you. Feliciano does, I have no right toー"

"That doesn't matterー"

"_Yes it does!"_

The Asian stood up, knocking his chair over. "I... I've loved you since the first day I'v met you, but so did Feliciano. Feliciano knew you for a longer time than I did, so I never had the right to love you. I can't intervene with his love for you. I... I can't." Kiku said, his voice cracking and breaking.

"I have no right..." He said as tears began to bead down his face. Hugging himself, he backed towards the wall and leant against it.

"I'm so sorry... Ludwig, I'm sorry..."

The German was thunderstuck. But he gathered himself and approached the sobbing student.

"Kiku..." He breathed. Reaching out, he pulled him into an embrace.

"You don't have to love me back." He said in a gentle tone. "Just let me be with you."

Reching up, he brushed a few stray strand and cupped his face, placing a ginger kiss on that delicate mouth. Dark eyes flickered with pain, but closed and let go.

This was probably the only moment in which he could ever indulge like this.

Pulling away, Ludwig let his head rest on the shorter boy's shoulder, tightening his arms around Kiku's small frame.

"Let me love you."

Both were unaware of the figure that stood right outside of the library door. Honey-brown eyes squinted in pain as they tried their best to seal the tears threatening to fall.

_Ludwig you Liar.

* * *

._


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own anything.

* * *

"Hey, what's wrong with you?"

There was something wrong with the brunetted boy. He could see it. His brother hasn't been using tomato sauce for the past three days, and that as a clear sign of a stressed Feliciano.

"Hellooo? I asked you a _question_!" He snapped, jabbing at his spaghetti and causing the oyster sauce the splash. Honeybrown eyes, glazed and dull, looked up.

"You spilt some of the sauce Nii-chan..." He said in a murmur. The older of the two snorted.

"To hell with the fucking sauce, what's _wrong_ with you? You've been acting like you're high for the past few days." He said, curling his Italian noodles around his fork. The younger twin blinked. Once.

"Nothing's wrong, just... school, and tests... and... homework." He finished, pausing as if looking for the right words. Lovino narrowed his eyes.

"Is that so?"

A nod.

"Well, if you're having that much trouble with school work, why not ask that potato bastard toー"

He didn't know what shut him up first. The crazed look in his brother's eyes or the knife that went whizzing past his face.

"_Don't," _The Italian said through grit teeth. His body was hunched over the table and the hand that threw the knife already had the fork in its grasp. The darker boy had to hide his shaking and get a grip on his chair to steady himself.

"Th-The hell Feliciano? That could've been my eye!" He said, his voice cracking at the last word. The said twin didn't say anything, but his hard gaze didn't soften. It didn't change in any way. Lovino could feel his stomach turning, which was a bodily reflex when he knew something bad was going to happen.

Finally, after what felt like two minutes, Feliciano lowered himself and resumed to his feeding. Not breathing a word. Lovino did the same, keeping his eyes off of his twin for the rest of the night.

* * *

He slept on the couch that night, taking another set of blankets and pillows out of the closet. The Southern Italian had never seen his ditzy brother like that, and that look in his eyes... Lovino gave a shudder.

Something was wrong.

Paranoia wouldn't let him sleep, even if the lights were on, but once the witching hour came by, he felt his eyes slipping, heavy and stinging the surface of his eyes before shutting.

And if it weren't for the fact that he was a heavy sleeper, Feliciano would've been caught drifting out of the house with a heavy bag.

* * *

I know, it's the end. It was short, but I had to end it here because I need to warn my readers that the next chapter will turn out to be an extreme guro chapter. I'll let you in on his much: Ludwig gets ambushed. For those who can't stand blood, knives and butcher wires, don't read the next chapter, which should be up in a month (School's killing me and I need to finish my college applications, so please forgive me).


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own anything.

I'm up to my kidney with college applications and auditions. God this sucks so much, but alas, I have a story to write -insert a cute heart image **here**-

* * *

The clock ticked by itself as it hung above the stove. The fridge hummed to itself as the ticking tocked by, ignoring the faucet who cried to itself.

Everything was quiet, just the way they both liked it.

Thick arms wrapped around a frail body, letting it rest against a broad chest. Small dainty hands grasped at fabric of the sleeve, fiddling with a loose thread as they sat stock still.

"Ludwig?" Came a soft whisper. The said German pressed his lips against the dark locks beneath him as he "Hmm?"-ed in response.

"What do you plan on doing once you graduate?"

Blue eyes opened, shifting and looking down at dark brown irises.

"I'll probably get a higher education. And if I can't, I'll..." A blush rouged his pale cheeks. "I'll probably work in a bakery." He said, the last few words a mere mumble. The lithe student gave a grin.

"I didn't know that you liked to bake. Can you make cakes?"

The blonde hesitated, but nodded, earning another giggle. Dark eyes drifted from those blue eyes and over to the clock, turning lidded in dismay.

"I think I ought to be leaving." He said, wriggling out from his lover's hold. The blonde nodded and helped him up.

"See you tomorrow?"

A smile.

"Of course."

Delicate hands cupped the square jaw above him and pulled him down for a gentle kiss. Ludwig could feel his body relax as his hands found their way to the other's waist.

"Kiku...I, I l-"

The Japanese pressed his fingers lightly against the German's lips, stopping him.

"Be wise about what you say." He said, his voice quiet. "I'm not sure myself, but I think these feelings are close to love. I really hope it is."

There was no need for words.

Another hug, another kiss, another gaze and the Japanese boy was off, leaving the German to himself.

It was mind boggling at how they bonded so fast. What he shared with Kiku felt more alive than what he shared with Feliciano. Like there was meaning behind it. With the Italian, is was just... there, something that didn't hold significant meaning nor value.

_Knock knock_

His ears pricked at this, making him turn around. Did Kiku forget something? Walking over to the door, he undid the lock and turned the knob, swinging it open.

"Did you forget something Kik-"

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the Italian, standing there with a blank face. Ludwig took a step back.

"F, Feliciano... What are you-"

Again, he was stopped mid-sentence, but this time by the other boy's hand that went up to hush him.

"I wanted to negotiate." He said before bringing his other hand up and pressing down on the canester-head. Immediately, a foul smelling spray lashed out onto the German's face, making him cough and gag, covering his mouth and bending over. Ludwig could see his vision blur and his senses dull as he fell to his knees. The canester re-appeared and spat in his face, dousing him and knocking him out. Hazel eyes watched as the figure beneath him wriggled, and once he stopped moving the Italian knew that he was in control.

Putting the can back in his bag, he walked into the room and grabbed the German's ankles, dragging him over to the living room. There in the centre, he pushed his bag from his shoulders and took out a folded bundle of cloth and spread it out. Once the wrinkles were smoothed out, he rolled the sleeping body onto it, pinning the limbs with rope and a metal pole.

"I won't let anyone else have you."

Shuffling through his bag, he pulled out a butcher wire and set it down next to him.

"I wonder what I should do with you... should I use the wire? Or the hacksaw?" He mused quietly, pulling out the said instrument and laying it on the other side of him. But just as he was pulling out the syringes, he heard the other grunt.

"F... Feli, ciano...?"

Brown eyes turned to look at watery blue orbs.

"That's strange, the spray should've kept you knocked out for at least an hour, and it's only been twenty minutes..." A smile. "I guess you aren't that easy."

"Felicia...ngh." Uneducated sounds gurgled in the German's mouth as he tried to pull himself together. His head was still hazy from the spray, and he couldn't feel his arms.

"Hold still my sweet." The brunetted boy cooed as he placed a hand over his eyes and pushed the needle point into a buldging vein on his neck. Feliciano pushed the plunger, and within a few seconds Ludwig could feel everything that was going on. He could feel his arms tied down, his ankles bound to a pole, the cold hands of his "lover".

"I thought this would help, since you're so eager to stay awake."

The needle was dicarded, and this time small hands grasped the butcher wire.

"Did you know?" He started as he shuffled down to Ludwig's feet. "This is a special wire used by Butchers. When they want to seperate the limbs from an animal, they hang the animal by a hook and use this to cut off the leg."

The cold, jagged metal thread wrapped around the blonde's ankle.

"It's so~ good at what it does, it's liscensed only to professional Butchers, who know what they're doing."

It tightened, and he could feel every spike digging into his skin.

"It's so precise... and it's one of my favourites."

A scream tore from his throat in broken notes as the brunette yanked on both ends of the wire, grinning as he did so. Blue eyes buldged in two different directions as the foot was torn off, letting blood pool into a sticky puddle. A gentle giggle escaped pink lips as Hazel eyes watched.

"You're so cute when you're vulnerable."

Ludwig could only cough and gag as the pain seared through him in white hot waves. The pain was enhanced by whatever venom Feliciano injected into earlier. His fingers twitched uncontrollably and gurgled sounds left his mouth; he could feel himself growing weak as the blood left him and puddled around him.

"Now that your foot is mine." He said, picking it up so that the other could see. "I don't have to worry about you running away." The Italian said as he smiled and kissed the disembodied foot. If images could be reflected by tone of voice, there would be crooked hearts surrounding the brunette.

Setting the foot down and taking a scapel in his hand, Feliciano clambered on top of his Blonde lover and pressed the blad against his chest. Pushing and dragging it down lightly so that he cut the shirt and not the skin. Once he got that out of the way, the scapel was pressed against the skin, and the brunette pushed it so that the tip of the knife was buried under the skin before digging in further and pulling down, earning another tormented gasp.

"The skin is realy beautiful once it's off of the body. There are so many uses for it, I can't even count." He said as he began to cut lines that resembled the shape of a shirt.

"I'll leave some of it on your neck and arms, but I'd really like the torso; it's more tender and delicate."

The hours dragged on, and Ludwig couldn't keep track how long each one was.

* * *

It was done.

The deed has been finished, and now all he had to do was leave.

Pulling all of the ingredients into one pastic bag, he tied the handles and placed it gingerly into his bag, along with the Butcher Wire and syringes. The blood he would clean later, but now he had to concentrate on getting out of the apartment flat.

He had to hurry, it was already 6:o7.

But despite what he did, he hadn't gotten a single drop of blood on himself, which only marked his expertise in the art.

"I wonder what his last thought was?" Feliciano said as he zipped his bag shut, hoisting it onto his shoulder before standing up and heading towards the door.

"I really hope it wasn't anything about Kiku, or else this would've been meaningless." And at that moment, an idea popped into his head. "And speaking of Kiku, I should pay him a visit too... yeah, I can make him a treat and bring it to him!"

* * *

And this will be my last update in a while. I bid thou all a sad farewell my dearest readers.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own anything.

* * *

Hazel eyes, dull and tired, watched over the pot as the sauce gurgled and popped, occasionally being stirred by a wooden spoon. In the distance, you could hear laughter, followed by screams and torn cries. The boy standing by the stove stirring the tomato sauce, blocked it all out. Worrying about what was happening to your brother was too distracting when you had to do your chores.

And after a moment the screaming stopped. The laughing came to a halt, and the boy held his breath, praying that the worst as over for the other. Soon enough, a door was heard opening and slamming shut, then the kitchen door swung open and another brunette slumped in, collapsing the moment the door had clicked shut.

He wasn't going to ask.

"... T, Tomato sauce...?"

"Yeah..."

A tense silence hung in the air.

"So," The stirring boy began. "Was it because, um, you talked to that guy?" He asked, trying to make sure that he wouldn't make the other snap. The fallen twin gave a weak nod.

"They don't want me near Antonio... I don't even like that guy, but I still get in trouble because _he_ talked to me."

Anger, irritation, frustration and sadness flickered through the Italian's eyes as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Feliciano... do you think... we'll ever get out of here?"

He didn't answer his brother, and opted to stare down at the red sauce that needed more salt to it.

"... Do you think Gramps is ever coming back?" He asked this time, his voice significantly smaller. Feliciano gave a hard swallow.

"I hope he does."

He watched Feliciano stir and add God-knows-what to what he was making, and let loose a sigh. "Is it Pasta, or Spagetti tonight?"

"Spagetti,"

"Bucatini, or Mafaldine?"

"Bucatini, and Lovino?"

"Mm?"

"Make sure you rinse your hands. You know how the others are about being clean before cooking."

A small smile pulled at the corner of Lovino's lips as he pulled himself together and pushed himself off of the floor.

"I'm eating this stuff too, remember? I wouldn't eat something dirty."

Silence fell over them again as they began to prepare the food. Everyday, they would wake up, make the food, clean the house, prepare lunch, tidy the house again, and make dinner. The only chances of having a chance to go outside was when they had to re-stock the pantry, and that job was always swiped by Lovino, who had been seeing someone in the outside world for help. But the others, the mafia members, found out. One of them tailed Lovino and found out that he was trying to escape.

As if you could escape from a contract that was made between you and the Mafia.

Feliciano could feel himself smile as he turned the heat off and added some more thyme. Maybe now _he_ could go outside and see the sky. Maybe he could feel what the sun was like again, and see the colours of the world that didn't consist of shades of black and grey.

Maybe he could breath.

The timer went off, indicating that it was five minutes before dinner. Cutting the gas on the stove, he scooped up the sauce into a smaller pot with a ladle as Lovino finished boiling the Bucatini.

They both hated this job, serving these violent people food every single day and living under the fear of being tortured to death. All because their good-for-nothing-grandfather fell into debt and loaned out money that he could never pay back. All because their own guardians didn't want to take care of them and left them in the arms of an irrational and irresponsible drunk.

With hurried steps, the two carried the tray of food to the main quarters and left them where they should be. Gino and Dino, the twins of the Mafia, sat at a small squre table by the window. Belinda and Tony, the ones who managed most of the weapons, sat at the rectangular table by the corner of the room. Abi, Enes, and Deniz sat at the main table in the middle of the room, due to the fact that they were the offspring of the Boss, and that they were the ones with most of the authority.

The pathetic thing about this group was the fact that this Mafia wasn't even _run_ by an Italian; It was run by some Turkish guy, Sadiq Askim Adnan. Snuggly nestled in Northern Italy, and operating as a _Non-Italian_ crimminal group. The only thing wrong with that title was the fact that this was more than a crimminal. The few factors that seperated this 'Mafia' form the others was the fact that this group knew what they were doing; they knew how to get the things they wanted, and they knew how to operate fast enough so that it would go unnoticed. It wasn't made up of forgotten people who wanted to make a name for themselves. It consisted of people who got off on hurting others and making a profit from it.

Talking and footsteps were soon heard, and the twins both scurried out of the room and down the corridor, safely back into the kitchen. The door clicked shut behind them as they went back tot heir respective stations. Listening, they could hear the silverware clinking, which was a relief since it meant that they had a few peaceful minutes to themselves.

"So," Feliciano began. "What exactly did you get in trouble for?"

Lovino scoffed as he put the boiling pot into the sink. "I got caught talking to Antonio, I told you that."

"The merchant?"

"No, the vendor."

"Do I know him?"

Lovino rolled his eyes. "When was the last time you've been outside?"

Feliciano made a face at this. "Maybe I could go outside if _you_ didn't take the job as re-stocker all the time."

"Don't be a baby."

"Don't be a jerk."

Hazel eyes locked against one another, holding an angry contact for a brief moment.

"I'm not being a jerk." Lovino said, gritting his teeth. Feliciano huffed.

"Then let me go next time."

You could see clearly that the older twin was fuming. His ears were pushed back a little and the back of his neck was burning scarlet. His hands were balled slightly into fists, and his jaw was locked tight.

"... No. I _need_ to go see _Antonio. _He can _help _us."

"Then tell me where I can find him, and _I'll_ see what _I_ can do." The younger twin said with a slight snap added to his voice. "And I wouldn't be as dumb to let myself be _caught_."

Lovino was ready to snap back, but bit his tongue when he heard laughter boom through the vents.

"_Fine,"_

"Good. Now we have to do this carefully if we ever want to see Grandpa again."

* * *

"You know you can't keep running away."

"I'm not running away Magna."

"Then what the _fuck_, Antiqua, are you doing _here_?" Magna asked, arms crossed and brows furrowed. The other gave a sheepish grin.

"Well... I'm working to make money."

"You're running away."

The burly man gave a huff. "I'm _making money _to pay off those loan sharks."

The other merely sneered at this.

"You've let those guys take your grandkids, run off once you know that they've been taken away, and then relocate yourself into a crummy little apartment in Naples. What the hell are you doing in Southern Italy when you know you should be up North?"

"I need to make some money to take back my kids."

"Working at a small restaurant as a waiter won't make the money you need."

"It's enough to put my plan into action."

The platinum blonde raised an eyebrow. "A _plan_?"

"Yes, a _plan_. And now if you'll excuse me, I need to serve some good people some good food; my break's over."

And with that, the 'waiter' stood up and walked out of the small and sorry excuse for a room, stepping back into the kitchen to get to the main area. Magna gave a hefty sigh and left through the back door, mulling as he did so.

"That guy needs to learn how to take care of his kids."

* * *

Tired. My _GOD_ I'm so tired.

Hope you like it by the way, and I'm not telling anyone what's going to happen yet, but the series of flash backs should help clear any questions.

And I know it seems a bit rushed, but I don't have a Beta at the moment, and I'm sick of having this chapter haunt my mind. Typos and grammar errors are apologized for.


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own anything.

* * *

"Three tomatos, two carrots, one cucumber and a pound of thyme please."

The tanned vendor nodded as he gathered the requested items.

"You seem to be in a better mood today Lovino, did something good happen?"

The Italian boy giggled. "Actually, I'm Feliciano, Lovino's brother."

The vendor stopped for a moment, staring down at the smiling youth. One eyebrow quirked up as the other was pushed down.

"... What... happened to Lovino?"

Feliciano's smiled wavered, but stayed on. "How much would that be again?"

The vendor's quizzical look deepened, but when Feliciano darted his eyes to the left, the man understood.

"Sorry, it'd be... let's see... 10.25."

"Ok, um... here's 11."

And as the boy handed his money to the vendor, he made sure that the small piece of paper underneath the bill went unnoticed by the eyes that were watching them.

"And there's your change of .75."

Feliciano beamed. "Thank You Antonio, I'll be seeing you then."

"Get home safe."

"I will."

He trotted off and disappeared into the crowd, managing to look normal as his heart thundered in his chest. He could only pray that _he_ wouldn't get caught.

* * *

"Feli~, what took you so long?"

The boy swallowed thickly, giving an apologetic grin. "I-I'm sorry Belinda, I was j-just looking around... It's been so long since I went to t-the market."

The blonde woman chuckled, crouching down and poking her finger to his forehead.

"Oh Feli~, you're too cute." She said, pecking his cheek. "You're so honest and good, if only your brother were like that."

The boy's grasp on the paper bag tightened.

"I-I'm sorry... he's just so... err, reckless...?"

Belinda giggled again, she seemed to be a sweet woman. Her tone light and friendly, her looks higher than average, and her attitude approachable, but Feliciano knew better. She was a snake. She was evil and rotten; she knew how to kill people under a minute, and she wouldn't hesitate if it would be to her benefit.

"Now let's ge inside, Sadiq is in a good mood today and we wouldn't want to ruin that."

Too afraid to talk, Feliciano nodded his head and let Belinda take his hand into hers.

'I'm holding hands with a murderer.'

And despite the happy tune that she was whistling, he couldn't force that one fact from his mind.

The corridors seemed to get colder as they walked further down into the underground. The yellow lights flickered feebly, and Belinda's whistling bounced off of the grey walls.

"So, Feli," She began. "Did you get everything?"

The Italian's skin prickled; He knew what she was doing. She was trying to see if she could get any sort of information from him by making small talk. By making him feel 'comfortable' to talk.

"Um... Well, I think I did. I looked at the list, and got the things that were written on it."

He tried his best, but his voice still came out shakey. He knew that the woman could feel his hand trembling, but she was smart enough not to say anything about it.

"U-um, Bel,linda?"

"Hmm~?"

"W-Why is Sadiq i-in a good mood?"

The woman gave a grin. "Because we finally got what we were looking for."

Venemous sugar dripped from every word she said. Her grasp on his small had tightened a bit and she began to swing their arms happily as they walked toward the door. They were finally inside, but Belinda didn't let go, instead, she went into the kitchen with Feliciano, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Now Feli, I've left the recipe for tonight's dinner with your brother, make sure you follow every step." She said, leaning in. "_Every, single, step._ Understand?"

Her breath brushed against his lips, sending shivers crawling through his skin again.

"I-I understand."

She smiled brightly.

"Good,"

And with a peck against his cheek, she stood up and left the kitchen, hips swinging and skirt swaying. The little Italian shuddered and put the groceries down before rubbing his arms. Belinda _could_ be sweet, but it was so creepy. Shaking the heebie-jeebies away, Feliciano looked around. Lovino wasn't here, which was a bad omen unless he was just using the toilet. Letting a sigh pull through his lips, he opened the brown bag and pulled out the vegetables, preparing to wash them.

* * *

_Antonio, I need your help._

_I can't do this on my own, and my idiot brother can't do _

_shit. You're the only person I can rely on, please, help _

_me. I'll repay you when I get out and grow up, but _

_just tell gramps that we need to get out. I would tell_

_you this in person, but I got caught talking to you the_

_other day, so I can't go outside anymore. I don't think _

_I'm going to last for long because of my behaviour, so_

_hurry, please._

_-Lovino._

The tanned man slumped down, letting his back slump against the wall. Night had fallen, and the stars were out, dotting the dark sky with their bright lights. He held the crumpled piece of paper in one hand, shaking a bit as he sat there.

He had to contact Antiqua; They needed to get those two out of there.

_rrrrrr._

_rrrrrr._

The vendor pulled his mobile from his pocket. The screen read 'Unknown Caller'. Swallowing thickly, he flipped it open and pressed the green key.

"Hello?"

A giggle came from the other line, and Antonio could feel himself relax.

"Bella... you had me a little nervous for a moment there."

_"Sorry about that, I have to use an untraceable cell phone; Don't wanna get caught, y'know?"_

"Can't blame you. How's working in the Mafia?"

_"Pretty fun actually. I didn't think that it would benefit me like this."_

Antonio cleared his throat. "How's Lovino?"

The other didn't answer him for a moment, and when that moment stretched beyond fifteen seconds, the man could feel himself getting nervous. Again.

"Bella?"

_"He's... fine. For now. He got caught by Gino, and you know how Gino is."_

"Actually, I don't."

_"Meh, he's the suspicious type. So he blabbed to the Boss about the kid talking to you, probably over exaggerated the story, and had Lovino beat up."_

"He _beat up_ Lovino?"

_"Yeah, and to think that he's just a little kid. It's a cruel world."_

"And... now it makes sense..."

_"What makes sense?"_

"Lovino's twin came by today, passed me a note from Lovi. Said he won't last for long."

_"Ah, poor kid, he's like... what, 7? And Deniz and Dino went rough on him."_

"Bella, we have to speed things up. I don't want Lovino there a day longer."

Another giggle. _"Five steps ahead of you Tonio. The reason why I called was because I've decided to put a little plan into action. Come by the base tonight at Three."_

"In the morning?"

_"If you want this to work, then yes."_

A grunt. "I'll be there. It's the address you gave me from before, right?"

_"Yeah, and don't you dare be late."_

"I'm not your brother Bella."

_"Meh. Oh, and one more thing."_

"What?"

_"Start calling me Belinda."_

* * *

A/N: You thought I forgot about you guys, didn't you?

Well, I feel like I ought to explain myself; I've been going through the whole college process. It was fucking hell, but sort of worth it. One of the reasons for my absence. Anyhow, I've been stalking a lot of Hetalia role players on FaceBook as well, but just to get some ideas bouncing around. I was also trying to determine how to steer this story, and I think I'm beginning to pull it together. So now that school's nearing to an end, I should be writing oneshots if I can dig up something good from my mind, and most of my unfinished fics should be updating themselves about once every two months.

Two months. Just for one chapter... I'm sorry I'm such a jackass. I mean, I'm not trying to toot my own horn by saying that I'm sooooo good that people are waiting for me to publish, but I hate blowing people off and making them wait. I'll try to make one chapter a month, but I get so lazy, and I eat a lot, so... I'm basically a lump, lolling and rolling around the house avoiding sunlight.

Anyhow, I'm also considering revising a number of my stories. Mainly spelling mistakes. So... uh... Cheers?


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own anything

* * *

"B-Belinda...?"

The blonde woman turned around. "Yes Feli?"

The said boy struggled to keep his feel from shaking. Blood pooled around his feet, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get away from it.

"W-What are you d-doing?"

The Belgian woman gave a short laugh. "What does it look like?"

Hazel eyes watched in horror as the woman turned back around and finished her business. Her hands were already stained scarlet and her stockings had unnatural blothces sprayed on them. Carelessly, she walked over the dying bodies and crouched down, digging through God-knows-who's pants and re-loading her gun. Putting the safety on, she motioned the smaller boy to follow her as they walked deeper into the base. With shakey legs, he stumbled after her, his mind going light as the smell of copper infested his nose.

"B-Beli, Belinda... I-I... I..."

Words jumbled against one another in his mouth. He had no idea what he wanted to say, but there was no way he could keep himself quiet as he followed the blonde woman.

It took them five minutes before they stopped in front of Sadiq's door. This time, the Belgian turned around and crouched down, looking at the Italian boy dead in the eye.

"Feli, what we're going to do next is very important." She said, taking his hands and wrapping his fingers around the handle of the gun. "It might be a big step for you, but it'll be a small leap for what's going to come next."

And without further-ado, Belinda forced open the door and dragged the twin with her. Inside, the Turk was slumped in his chair, obviously drugged.

"Now," She began, addressing Feliciano. "I want to you stay calm, and lift that. That's right, just like that, but aim for his head... Good."

He had no idea what he was doing, but the _woman_ was in charge;She could kill him if he didn't do what she wanted him to.

"Pull the safety off... no, the little switch on the back of the- Yes, that's right. Okay, now let your index finger curl against the little lever at the crook... perfect." She beamed down at him.

"Now what I want you to do is pull the little lever."

He could feel his hands going cold and his body quaking. This was wrong. This was horribly wrong, but what else could he do?

"Hurry up Feli, we need to get going soon."

His lips began to quiver.

"Feliciano, sweetie, all you have to do it pull the little lever."

That... that was right. All he had to do now was-

And in an instant, it was over. He stumbled backwards a bit when the bullet shot out and he screamed when the body spat out blood from the bullet wound, but it was over. Because of the food poisoning that Belinda made him use for everyone's dinner, and the gun that was shoved into his hands, everything came to an end.

It was over. But there was still no relief washing over him, no sense of safety wrapping around him.

"Wonderful! You did a great job!" The woman cheered, smiling down at him. Still, the boy stood there, shaking like a leaf and twitching.

"... Feli...?"

The boy didn't answer. His body had gone numb and Belinda ended up carrying him over her shoulder, running out of the base in a flurry.

And with heels on too. Damn, that's some skill.

His eyes seemed to have stopped working, along with his ears. His vision was blurry and the only sounds he managed to hear were all echoed, as if they were coming from far away and through a tunnel. Distorted, unclear, fuzzy. What was wrong with him?

When they got outside, the cold night air rushed up against him. He could feel his body shudder, but it made no difference. He was already cold from before, the night air couldn't affect him in any way. Belinda shifted him, so now he was sitting in her arms, his arms loosely looped around her neck as hers were wrapped around him. She was still running, and as the sounds and sights began to fade from the boy's senses, he could feel himself slipping away. His eyes stung as the lids fell over them, but he let them sting as darkness came from underneath him and hushed him into slumber.

* * *

"Is he okay?"

The tanned man nodded. "Don't worry, he's with Bella, he should be alright."

The brunetted boy gave a sort of a whimper as he tightened his grip on the man's shirt. "He better not be hurt, or else." He said, his voice cracking at the end. The man gave a chortle and nodded, hugging him and planting a kiss on his head.

"Don't worry so much Lovino, your Grandfather trusted Me and Bella to get you two out of there, there's no way we can fail him."

Thin eyebrows furrowed.

"But Grandpa betrayed _us_." The boy said bitterly. "Look what happened to me Antonio, look at all of this." Lovino pulled away from the other and pulled the collar of his shirt. You could see that there were scars and scorch marks littering his chest. Antonio nodded and gathered the boy into his arms again.

"And I'm sorry, it's my fault all of that happened to you."

"...Really?"

"Yeah, don't blame your Grandfather, he loves you. It's my fault because I couldn't get out away from that place sooner."

And as if on cue, the front door rattled before bursting open. Antonio tore the boy away from him and stashed him behind him, grabbing the Machete that lay on the coffee table. He was just about to shout at the intruder when Belinda stumbled in, clearly exhausted. The twin was still nestled in her arms as she kicked off her shoes and stumbled over to the couch.

"_Fuck_, my feet are killing me." She said, gritting her teeth.

"The least you could've done was shout that it was you." Antonio said, slightly angry as he set the Machete down on the coffee table. "I thought you were someone else."

The blonde gave a giggle. "I'm sorry, but it's called making an entrance Tonio."

"Hey!"

Both heads turned around.

"M-My brother better be okay!" Lovino said, clinging onto Antonio's sleeve and biting down on his lip. Belinda gave another giggle.

"Lovi, you were a lot of trouble, you know that?" She tutted as she un-looped Feliciano's arms from her neck. Gingerly, she set the boy down, making sure that she didn't wake him.

"So Bella-"

"_Belinda_. You need to call me Belinda when we're in Italy, remember _Tonio_?"

The Spanish man merely rolled his eyes. "Okay, _Belinda_, did you kill Sadiq?"

"Well... not exactly. I got a call from Antiqua at the last moment, and he said that he wanted Feli to pull that trigger." She said, looking a bit miffed as she leant back.

"I honestly have no idea why he wanted to make his own grandkid do that, it doesn't make sense. But hey, _he's_ the one paying."

Antonio stared at the Belgian woman for a moment before letting his gaze fall on the sleeping brunette.

"Roma... wanted _Feliciano_ to kill Sadiq?"

Belinda shrugged. "He said that the one that would end that "Inferior Mafia Group" would be a Vargas. It's probably some kind of family grudge or something."

"Sounds to me like he's losing a few marbles."

The blonde errupted in gigglesnorts at this. "Now wouldn't _that_ make sense?"

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he saw the Sun shining through the cracks of the curtains; Everything seemed peaceful, and for that moment, he thought he was back in the better days. Pushing himself up he found himself in a bed, in a different room, with different clothes. Pushing the brown strands of hair from his face, he swung his legs over the bed and set his feet onto the floor. Shivers crawled under his skin as his feet touched the cold wooden floor under him.

Where was he?

Walking out of the room and down the landing, he could hear talking and clattering going on. Cold sweat began to run down his back as he came closer. It was coming from the kithcen, and it didn't seem like any sort of bad commotion, but he was still wary. Once he was by the door, he closed his eyes and listened:

"Tonio, you better pass me the ducking ketchup."

"'Ducking'?" A snortish giggle. "I'm not going to pass the _ducking_ ketchup."

"Fine!" A pair of hands slammed against the table, making the dishes rattle. "I'll just go get some from the cellar!"

And with a few angry footsteps, the kitchen door swung open, revaling the Italian boy.

"Oh... Feli! You're awake!" Belinda grinned down at him. "You hungry? I can get you some apples from the cellar if you'd like."

In an instant, the events from the night before came rushing into his head. His body began to shake and he took a few paces backwards.

"N-No Belinda... I-I'm alright."

"Is that Feliciano?"

Antonio popped his head from the doorway.

"Heyy, you're finally awake. Come eat with us!"

"A-Antonio?"

The said man grinned. "Not too happy to see me? Even after we saved you from Sadiq?"

"Sadiq... wait, how do you know about Sadiq?"

Antonio gave a 'Pfft' at this. "Come into the kitchen and eat, then I'll explain."

The boy nodded and walked in, sitting across from the tanned man and next to Belinda.

This was going to be one hell of a morning.

* * *

Not what you expected, right? But hey, this is fanfiction dot net; Nearly everything's fucked up in its own way.


End file.
